Broken Image
by Theonlyproton
Summary: After being returned from Tartarus by the gods who had punished him to there, Percy is not angry. He is not vengeful. In fact, he is broken. He has lost trust in the campers and perhaps even the gods themselves. Where can he go to find the peace he deserves? Maybe by being sent to live with Artemis and the Hunt after he destroys parts of Camp Half-Blood on accident. Pertemis.
1. Chapter 1

Broken Image

Chapter 1: Memories

Percy's POV:

Pain. Suffering. Regret. Emptiness. Brokenness. It has been 2 years. 2 damn years. Constant torture, mockery, and most dangerous of all: Memories. Reminders of my past, my present, and seemingly my future. Perseus Jackson, they call me. They use the name as a weapon, as a shard and blade to jab into my mind. I wondered why they could not understand. How could they not see how right I was? How could they leave me here after I save their asses? To be cursed, maimed, tortured, and even _killed_ again and again? I saved them. I helped them. Yet _they_ could not help _me_. Now, as I hang here in my chains made of despair, I can only ponder who I was, who I am, and who I will be. But the answer never changes: I am broken.

My chains then rattled as I was shaken by one of my torturers: Nyx. "Hello, _Perseus._", the goddess of night spat. I looked up but remained silent, in fear that my tongue would be cut, or lava would be poured down my throat. She sneered at my silence, taking it as consent to do whatever she pleased, which in fact was true. "Two years here, Perseus. Today in fact is your two year anniversary in Tartarus with your dear _friends_. Or at least in time up there. Down here it feels like forever, doesn't it?", Nyx spoke, referring to herself and all of the other foes I had faced, including many such as Kronos, Krios, and others. I grunted at her comments. Nyx glared at me for that noise, even if it was small. She grabbed my throat and squeezed a little, enough to be uncomfortable, but not enough to be painful...yet. Throughout my years, Nyx had treated me the worst. I have no idea why. Maybe it was inherent for every bad guy out there to hate me.

She glared at me with her pitch black eyes, "You are not to make noise when I speak, understood?". I nodded and gasped for air. She let go, and I dropped back down to the cold obsidian floor of my so called 'room'. "Now get up. We have a looonnngg day ahead of us.", Nyx stated as she snapped her fingers, opening up my cuffs. I stared at my wrists, seeing that they were bruised and battered. They had scars on them, naturally, and unnaturally. In fact, I had scars everywhere on my body. Scar here, scar there, scar everywhere, but I can't do anything. I used to hope that I could get out of here, but it disappeared a while ago. That doesn't mean I don't wish it. I trudged ahead and prepared for my 'day' of torture. I get the usual: fight hundreds of monsters; fight Titans and Giants; get cut, slashed, and maimed by all of them; relive memories; and then worst of all, drowning. I sighed, both of longing and also of exhaustion, but I moved forward.

Third Person POV:

The sound of thunder rolled across the heavens. The clouds darkened and threatened to bring floods where they stood. The sky looked very uneasy, causing dismay to anyone who looked up to it, which is a large group of people. Currently, a meeting of the gods occurred, nothing special, just a normal meeting. Or at least that is what it was supposed to be.

"Alright! Let's get down to business!", a grim Zeus announced, lacking any of his usual theatrical antics. "First and foremost is the issue of Artemis and her Hunt. Recently, many of you are falling to injuries, correct Artemis?", Zeus asked his daughter. Artemis nodded, "Yes Father, but it is nothing we cannot handle. We have faced worse, much worse. Like during the fight against Gaea, for example."

Aphrodite then spoke back, "Yet you seem to not be able to handle the monsters lately, Artemis. What happened to those 'skills' you have? Your Hunt should not be taking hits. For goodness sake even _Thalia_ is out of commission right now." Artemis glared back, "This is all just temporary. It can and will be fixed. We are fine." Artemis' pride clearly showed as she raised her head in defiance. "No. You are not _fine_. Your hunters are beginning to weaken. Now I do not know why, but you need help.", Zeus sternly said. Artemis' golden blood began to boil as she shouted back with force and anger, "I DO NOT NEED ASSISSTANCE ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY HUNT. AS A MATTER OF FACT MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOUR OWN FAULTS, SUCH AS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR THE _HERO OF OLYMPUS!_". The pure rage that emitted from Artemis right there was enough to make Ares crumble. The gods all sat in shock and silence, the only sound left was Artemis' heavy breathing after her tantrum. The idea of the Percy's banishment to Tartarus struck all of their hearts, save Artemis as even though she respected him to an extent, he was a man. Poseidon lost control of his emotions and began to cry. He then moved on to sobbing, and then all out bawling. He covered his face with his hands and rested his elbows onto his knees.

"You know what he did. He wronged us all!", Zeus said bluntly, although his conscience disagreed. Athena spoke up, "How so? In what way did he do that?". "It's only been two years! Do you not remember? The boy straight up killed 15 demigods! In cold blood, he slaughtered his own blood!", Zeus bellowed. Hestia's eyes flared up, "He did it to help us! Did you not see the aftermath of the killings? Did you not see the fact that those dead demigods decomposed into the Earth instantly? Are you so blind to Gaea's attempt to finish what she started? Perseus Jackson ended Gaea's plan. He saved you! He saved us all. And we threw him away." Zeus retorted, "No matter for what reason, he still killed those demigods! They were under control of Gaea, not purposely doing anything!". Artemis spoke up again after regaining her senses, "You would rather die than let your pride be suppressed, won't you?". Zeus thought over this statement, and to his own dismay, slightly nodded. "What he did was correct, but you can't let that go can you? And for what reason but the fact that one of your daughters(AN: Pretend Zeus has another random daughter) was a part of that group!", Hestia said as she finished Zeus' argument off.

"I propose an overturn of Percy's punishment.", Hades announced, "I have seen what has gone on down there, and I know you all have not. He does not deserve that." The rest of the gods looked in surprise, since no punishment has gone unturned for a long time, but it was possible. "Let's vote shall we?", Hades announced. "Who would like to overturn Perseus Jackson's time in Tartarus, raise your hands." One by one the gods raised their hands, starting with Poseidon, who had hope in his teary eyes, and ending with Zeus himself. "By the power of the Ancient Laws, I deem Perseus Jackson void of his punishment.", Zeus announced. Lightning struck and Thunder rumbled as Zeus threw his Master Bolt down. Hades closed his eyes and muttered a few words. A flash bright enough to even make the gods close their eyes inhabited the area. After the flash subsided, in the middle of the throne room was a figure laying on the ground, with jeans and a long sleeved shirt that were both colored black. This figure was Percy Jackson.

Percy's POV, during the beginning of the gods' meeting:

I fought, flailing around as I began to lose breath. That is correct. Perseus Jackson was _drowning_. In Tartarus, monsters have control, and I could not breath underwater. I was too weak to even consider my powers. After I blacked out, the monsters pulled me out of the water. I was revitalized, just enough to regain consciousness. This water torture lasted for forever it seemed. It would not stop. Finally, after the monsters had their 'fun'. I was pulled up. Kronos walked forth with his golden eyes flaring. "Oh Perseus. I heard it was your anniversary with us today. How about we celebrate? You remember _Backbiter_, don't you?", Kronos asked with glee, menacing glee. With that, Kronos lifted his weapon up, and swung with force. I closed me eyes, waiting for pain to be stacked onto me again. But it never came. I blacked out as a blinding light covered me and I felt myself being pulled away.

Third Person POV:

All of the gods sat in their thrones, drinking in the sight of their Hero. He was clearly unconscious, but his unmoving body did strike a small amount of fear into Poseidon. Poseidon stood up first and sprinted across to Percy's limp body. He held up his son's body and put it into his arms, gazing at his face. Percy's face was cut up and full of scars, blood staining his handsome face. Percy's hair surprisingly did not grow. Taking out ambrosia and nectar, Poseidon fed his son both, causing Percy to stir. Some of the scars healed, but major ones stayed. The gods all encircled Poseidon and his son. Percy opened his eyes in fear and sat straight up. He looked around carefully. "What. The. Fuck.", he said plainly. Percy jumped up, but then winced in pain as his wounds reminded his body that they were there. "Perseus Jackson. Your...punishment has been revoked after much discussion. We are sorry.", Zeus spoke with a tone of regret and embarrassment. Percy looked shocked, but then he looked furious.

"That's all I get? A sorry? No sort of compensation? I don't need your words.", Percy said flatly. Zeus' face contorted in anger initially, but then nodded. Artemis then spoke, "Now listen here Percy, you are back. Enjoy it. Don't cause anymore anger. Don't insult" Percy jerked his head around to the speaker, and saw Artemis. He stopped slightly, but then he spat venomously, "You don't know what I've been through. _You_ have no idea what it feels like to be tortured, wallowing in your own blood. And for what reason? Because I saved some Olympian Gods! I have been drowned. I have been _killed_, only to be brought back by Kronos. _Keep your mouth shut and swallow your own damn pride_." Percy's anger emanated throughout the entire room. Artemis at first was shocked, but then swelled in anger rivaling Percy.

With the speed of a thunderbolt, she leaped at Percy and tackled him all the way into the wall of marble. A crater was left with his body. Artemis then punched Percy in the face, in which he winced even with his experiences with pain. She then took her forearm and shoved it against Percy's throat horizontally. The other gods were too surprised to do anything but gawk. "_You know nothing. I spoke for your benefit. I raised your situation again. I spent two damn months wondering how the last decent man in the world was punished by the gods that he himself saved. Now shut up. Understood?", _Artemis spat back with a lethal tone. Percy widened his eyes, not in fear, but in curiosity to both the anger and the pain he could see in her silver eyes. Artemis released her grip and pulled Percy up to his feet. "I am sorry, Lady Artemis. My anger has blinded me.", Percy said with a soft voice as he got onto his knees and bowed. He put his head onto the ground when he bowed, and placed his hands onto her silver shoes. Artemis looked down at Percy and smiled, glad that she could calm the tempest that was Perseus Jackson. "Apology accepted. Perseus. Now get up. The other gods are here too, remember?", Artemis replied, also with a softer tone than her ferocity from before. Percy and Artemis both walked back to the other gods.

After hugging all of the gods and finally smiling again, Percy became tired. His weariness had caught up to him, especially when he was thrown into the wall by Artemis. He fell down on the floor in exhaustion, right onto Artemis, who almost threw him again for getting too close. She realized he fell asleep and offered to let him sleep in her palace due to the fact that she threw him into the wall. With a snap of her fingers, she teleported him into her bed at her palace. "Since when did males have the ability to sleep in your bed?", Apollo asked. "This time only, brother. I did throw him into a wall and choke him.", Artemis responded. "What a repayment.", Apollo responded sarcastically. Artemis rolled her eyes and walked back to her palace. The gods had all said their goodbyes and went to their own palaces to sleep. After Artemis finished her duties with the Moon, she went back to her own palace.

She walked into her room and prepared to change right there. She took off her jacket, and then her shirt. She was about to take off her pants but then she heard a rustling. Percy sat up wearily and rubbed his eyes, "Lady Artemis? What are y-". Percy's eyes widened and then he laid back down and covered his eyes. Artemis covered herself and jumped, blushing furiously in rage. She threw on her shirt and left her pants on. "I'm s-so s-sorry, Lady Artemis. I didn't mean to!", Percy spoke in fear. "Yes, Percy.", Artemis said. Percy stood up from the bed and looked around. "I'm going to go now.", Percy said quickly and he sprinted out. Artemis shook her head. She jumped into bed and laid down into her covers. She fell asleep rather quickly despite her incident.

Percy ran and ran, trying to get the image of a half naked Artemis out of his head. But he simply could not. Percy decided to get out of Olympus. Taking the elevator, he reached the bottom of the Empire State Building. Percy then proceeded to walk to his mother's apartment. Once he arrived, he rang the doorbell. A woman opened the door, "Hello? May I help you?". Percy then looked into his mother's eyes and waited. She teared up, and then grabbed Percy into a hug while crying. "You're back!", she exclaimed in joy. They went inside and moved onto the couch where Percy let his mother bawl her eyes out in joy. Paul also joined in, although he cried much less. "I'm back, mom. I'm back.", he said reassuringly. For the next couple of days he stayed around and talked with his mother and just enjoying his time back. Of course, he then told his mom of his plan to go back to visit Camp Half-Blood. She allowed, but she knew he would've gone anyways. After saying goodbye, Percy called a taxi and left.

Percy reached the camp borders. He stared at it. The camp had not changed one bit. As he reached the borders, he saw Peleus sitting there. Peleus looked to Percy and sniffed him warily, but then licked Percy's arm in approval. Percy chuckled and waked into the camp, where the campers were eating breakfast. Percy wanted to be sneaky, so he stealthily walked towards the camp dining area. Chiron and Mr. D were sitting at the big table while everyone else were at their own. The Poseidon table was empty, along with Zeus' and Hades'. The Children of the Big Three always had business to attend to, or in Percy's case for the last two years, punishment. Pulling the hood of his jacket up, Percy walked into the dining area with a hidden face. He caught the attention of every camper almost instantly. He was a little nervous, but he did not stop. He walked up to the big table, pulled out a chair, and then sat down, drinking the bottle of water that he brought.

At first, there was silence. Mr. D smirked knowingly. Clarisse La Rue stood up and bravely asked, "Who are you? And how dare you sit there?". Percy started to laugh, boiling the anger of the campers even further. Percy actually began choking on his water. Annabeth Chase then spoke as well, "Answer the question, or we will force it from you!". Percy kept laughing, but finally stopped. He slammed on the table with force and then looked up, smiling. "Don't you remember me?", Percy asked as he pulled off his hood, revealing his messy black hair and his sea green eyes. The entire camp stared in shock and silence. "PERCY JACKSON!", the entire camp roared. Even Chiron stood up and cheered. "The one and only.", he replied calmly. The camp cheered and all of his friends came up to greet him. Finally, after a lot of handshakes, hugging, and kisses, he was free to speak to whoever he wanted. Of course, he moved over to speak to Annabeth first.

"Hey.", he said calmly. Annabeth turned, "Oh. Hi." Percy stood there awkwardly rubbing his hand on his neck. "Can we talk? About...us?", Percy spoke. Annabeth nodded but stayed quiet. "Look. I know I've been gone. I know I was sentenced to Tartarus because I killed 15 people in cold blood. But you knew right? You knew they were bad. So why didn't you say anything? Why did no one say anything?", Percy said. He continued, "For 2 years I was tormented, wondering why no one helped me. Not even my girlfriend. Were you all afraid? Or did I not do enough? I know Poseidon was just in shock after sustaining injuries, so he couldn't do much. Why? Why did you leave me to that?". Percy began to choke a little on his tears. Annabeth looked down in shame, "I...I don't know. We were just afraid, I guess. No one wanted to oppose." "So you all just left me. What a good reason! Okay. Alright. I'm done here. Go back to whichever male you found to replace me, I know you have a replacement. I hope he'll save your ass as well as me." Percy stormed off I his own silent rage. What he thought was his hope in Tartarus became the ones that disappointed him the most. Even his girlfriend, no wait, ex-girlfriend couldn't even speak for him. If no one would help him, he wouldn't help them either.

Percy marched to the ocean. He began to vent out his rage. A burst of power surged into him and he lifted large amounts of water up and swirled it around. His rage began procuring storms and lightning. A small earthquake also occurred. Once he was tired, he went back to his cabin. He laid on his bed, thinking 'No one here gives a damn about me. They just want me for power. For glory. Where do I find a real family?'. After dropping a few tears, he fell asleep.

**AN: Hey, what's up guys? So I hoped you liked this first chapter. This of course is going to be a Pertemis fic, since for some reason I liked that idea. So as you have read, there is no cheating or death involving Annabeth. Percy is just simply disappointed in the fact that after so many years and experiences, no one was able to return the favor. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed and will await the next chapter! Please review so I know how I can improve, as I am not that good at writing creative things, or so I think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Broken Image

**AN: Hey there! Thanks for all of the reviews and support so far! :) Anyways to The Toast Ninja, yes Artemis was a little out of character there, but don't worry she'll be strict again. And as for the Camp thing, I just didn't want to make that last too long. Don't worry about being harsh on reviews, I can take it. But yeah, I hope you'll enjoy the following chapter! R & R :) Oh yeah, I don't own PJO, Rick Riordan does.**

Chapter 2: Not So Warm Welcome

Not long after he fell asleep, Percy began having nightmares. He was being reminded of all his pains back in Tartarus. He thrashed and tossed about physically, but his mental state was weak. Pictures began to be thrown and tossed, while Percy's cabin began to shake with his torment. With a scream of terror, Percy unwillingly summoned another earthquake, this one being much stronger than the one from before. The ground shook with ferocity as Percy's belongings were tossed about. Other screams were heard from the other campers as well as they woke up in fear and shock. After about 2 minutes, the quake stopped. Percy snapped awake, although he was still exhausted from the lack of a good sleep. Opening his eyes, he saw the mess that was his cabin. Furniture was tossed, pictures were broken, decorations fell on the ground. Cracks were visible on the wood flooring, but the walls were fine, seeing that they were built to last. Other cabins, however, were not so lucky. Part of the Demeter cabin had collapsed; there was a fissure right in front of the Aphrodite cabin;the Athena cabin had a couple of cracks at its foundation. The other cabins had minor problems, mainly holes and fissures. Percy stepped outside, along with the other campers, and made it to the dining hall, where Chiron was waiting.

"What in the Hades happened?", Clarisse asked with a hint of frustration. Chiron announced, "Campers, an earthquake has occurred. But this earthquake was definitely not weak. Either Gaea is back, or Poseidon is mad most likely. I hope it is not the former." Percy then spoke up, "Actually, Chiron, it was my fault." Everyone looked over to Percy, who was standing behind everyone else. "How so, my boy?", Chiron asked, although he had figured out what happened. "I was having nightmares. In my silent torment I accidentally triggered an earthquake. I didn't even know I could make one so strong. I apologize.", Percy explained. "You're a monster!", one camper exclaimed. "How could you destroy so much?", another yelled. Clarisse quickly shut them up as they were from the Ares cabin, but all of the campers questioned the same. Nodding, Percy looked down in shame and walked away. The campers dispersed to go and help fix their cabins.

Back in the Big House, Chiron and Mr. D were having a discussion. "What should we do with him? He clearly can't stay here. The other campers are afraid.", Chiron asked. Mr. D answered, "I don't know. From what I can tell, he doesn't want to be here anymore either. We could ask Poseidon, right?". Chiron nodded. "Well ok then. I'll take Peter to meet with the gods.", Dionysus spoke, getting Percy's name wrong again. Snapping his fingers, Mr. D teleported Percy to the Big House. "Hey Peter!". Mr. D greeted. Percy realized he was in the Big House, "Uh. Hi. What do you need?". "Yeah, Peter, we need to go to Olympus and decide what to do with you." Percy shook his head in disbelief, "Ok. I guess. Maybe it'll be nice to get away from this place." Even though Percy had just gotten back, he just didn't have the same view on the campers that he had before. He was willing to see another change. With another snap, Dionysus and Percy flashed away to Olympus.

The gods were already all assembled at their thrones when the two arrived. Dionysus left Percy standing in the middle while he teleported to his own throne. "Dionysus, what is Perseus doing here?", Zeus questioned. "Sir, the boy has caused havoc at Camp, although it was unintentional.", Dionysus answered. Percy nodded as well in conjunction. "Alright then. Any suggestions, Poseidon?", Zeus asked his brother. Rubbing his beard, Poseidon pondered what he could do. "I do not know.", Poseidon answered. "We'll figure out. Now, we might as well finish our issue of Artemis' lack of a sufficient Hunt.", Zeus decided. Artemis crossed her arms around her chest and huffed in anger.

"Now, Artemis, you have two options: find more sufficient and skilled hunters, or get someone to help you.", Zeus proclaimed. Athena added, "I suggest you find someone to help. There aren't enough skilled people left to join the Hunt." Artemis still did not respond, continuing to glare at Zeus. Percy had made his way to sit next to his father, and now sat there looking at the floor with his dull green eyes. "There is no need for help. Maybe there are just too many things to do. If anything, I only need someone to help with the errands and such. If anyone wants to do the chores for me so I can focus on training, so be it.", Artemis finally replied with her ultimatum. All of the other gods nodded, agreeing with her. "So who shall it be? Any preferences?", Aphrodite asked Artemis. Artemis shook her head no. "How about Perseus here? Surely he can do it. And it will also resolve the issue of moving Perseus to a different location.", Zeus said. "WHAT? I will not have a boy in my Hunt's presence.", Artemis argued. "You will. I designate Perseus Jackson as an honorary member of the Hunt.", Zeus boomed. Artemis huffed, but gave up, knowing she couldn't change her father's mind. "You are all dismissed.", Zeus finished with a wave of his hand. Most of the gods left, but Artemis and Poseidon stayed to speak with Percy, who continued to stare at the ground. "Hey, son.", Poseidon spoke. Percy looked up with his dull eyes. "I heard already. I'm fine with it. I've got nothing else to go to.", he said glumly. Poseidon nodded and went off to tell Sally Jackson the news.

Percy asked, "So are we going to go to your camp? Or?" Artemis glared at Percy, "First of all, you _will _address me as Lady. No exceptions. Second, you will obey every command I give, no questions asked. Third, you will not mess with my huntresses. And finally, you will now go as Boy. I will not address you any other way. Understood?" Even Percy was shuddering at the cold and strict tone that Artemis portrayed. He nodded, of course. "Now, put your hood up and close your eyes." Percy complied, and then felt himself being teleported once more. This time, he arrived at Artemis' main campsite, currently located near camp Half-Blood, but far enough to make the traveling distance annoying.

Once they arrived, Percy stayed back and allowed Artemis to meet with her Hunt. "Girls, gather around. I have a...surprise.", Artemis announced. All of the huntresses got from their tents and converged on Artemis, who was standing on a tree stump. Probably her tree stump. "What's the surprise?", Thalia asked, speaking for the rest of her sisters. "Ah, right here, is our...gift. He will help us manage ourselves and further improve ourselves indirectly." Once Artemis said that, Percy walked forward and knelt on one knee next to Artemis, signifying his allegiance. "It's a male? Why?", Phoebe gasped in some form of disgust. Artemis nodded somewhat sadly, "But! All is not lost. This male has some form of respect that should be granted. Some. Boy, remove the hood." Percy followed the order and lifted up his hood, revealing his messy black hair and his sea green eyes. He smirked a little, showing his confidence and joking nature was still alive. A trail of silver launched towards Percy, tackling him down onto the ground. "Percy!", Thalia shouted in delight as she launched at him into a great hug. "Yeah, great to see you too, but uh, get off me please?", Percy asked. Thalia refused, of course, and left him there on the ground still in a hug. The rest of the Hunters all laughed; they knew how much Percy meant to Thalia, especially since she really couldn't hang around with her cousin. "My Lady, help!", Percy gasped. All of Thalia's gear made her really heavy.

Artemis nodded at Thalia, and at that the huntress got off Percy, though not without sitting on him first. "So why exactly are you here?", Phoebe asked. "Zeus told me to. Why not right?", Percy shrugged. "Artemis you were okay with this?" Artemis shook her head. "Zeus just wanted to punish me with a male due to our lack of success lately." Saddened by the news, the Hunt all looked down. "My Lady, what would you have me do?", Percy asked. "Go and check the perimeter for any signs of unusual activity." Nodding, Percy walked off. Once she confirmed that Percy could not hear the group, she then spoke, "Alright Hunt, we are going to make this boy's life here very, very, uncomfortable." Clearly, Artemis was still insulted by the fact that a male was to join her hunt, even if he was Perseus Jackson. All of the huntresses nodded, although Thalia looked a little worried. "It is not because I hate the ma- boy. It is because I will not have my domain soiled upon by anyone. This is indeed my approval for you all to prank the living hell to him." The huntresses all smiled at the idea that they could have some fun.

As the conversation ended, Percy returned. "Nothing is out of place, Lady Artemis. What are you guys discussing? You all have mischievous looks on your faces." "Oh it's nothing.", Thalia said as innocently as possible, placing her hands behind her back. Percy shook his head. He knew that Thalia had something planned. "Okay, so it is lunch time. Percy, you know how to cook, right?", Artemis asked. "Uhh...does cereal count?", he responded in embarrassment. The Hunt face palmed. Artemis laughed for a second, but then replied, "No. Alright. But I will see to it that you are taught how. I'll cook today." About 15 minutes later, the meal was done cooking. The group met at a large wooden table. Artemis made Percy set up the table, including plates, utensils, napkins, and glasses. The Hunt and Artemis took their seats. "Boy, serve us.", Artemis commanded with a smile. Percy bowed slightly, and then served the group. Artemis had cooked fried bear, baked beans, and mashed potatoes. The girls dug in along with Artemis. Percy sat down and stared at their ferocity. _They're practically wolves. Oh wait, _Percy thought. He didn't realize how long he was staring, because they were all staring back. "Percy! Why aren't you eating?", Thalia questioned, "You don't like it?" Feeling a little guilty, Ash shook his head and shoved a spoonful of bear and potatoes into his mouth.

His tastebuds practically melted on his tongue. _This is unbelievable! Better than mom's cooking!_, he thought. A smile of pure delight crossed his face. Thalia smirked. Seeing the smirk, Percy swallowed quickly and cleared his throat. "I suppose it wasn't too bad.", Percy announced. Artemis' face scrunched up in anger, but before she could choke him, Percy quickly added, "But I thank you My Lady. It is great to have eaten something made by My Lady. In Tartarus I was fed nothing." That seemed to work, because at the mention of Tartarus her face softened again. All of the hunters remembered Artemis' anger at Percy's punishment. She didn't cry or anything, but a little disappointed. "What did happen in Tartarus, Percy?", Diana asked(AN: I'll be making huntresses' names up). Percy's normally bright green eyes darkened and pain clouded his face. "I don't want to talk about it. No one knows but Hades and I what goes on down there." With that, an awkward silence lingered in the air. "But I've got to start somewhere right? The first injury I sustained was when Nyx broke all of my fingers one by one." The Hunt stared in shock. Was it really that bad down there? "Oh, and it was 2 years in time up here. Down there it was actually 10 years, thanks to Kronos." Shuddering at the thought herself, Artemis loosened up at the thought of Percy's suffering. But only out of pity!, she argued in her head.

After the meal, the Hunt simply rested, as many huntresses such as Liz and May still sustained some form of injury. Percy was given no further instructions, so he assumed he could do what he wanted. And he wanted to take a shower. Or rather, a bath in the nearby lake. Percy stripped down nude, and then dived into the water. Allowing himself to actually be wet, he began to wash himself off. The pure water invigorated his strength, which gave him a reminder that he was indeed away from Tartarus.

Suddenly, while he was in the water, arrows were flying at him. Percy ducked down and made it so that only his head peeked out of the water. "Whoa! Why are you firing?", Percy shouted questioningly. Thalia retorted, "That's the water we drink, Kelp Head!". Artemis also added, "Get out of there already!". Turning red, Percy widened his eyes and made a mad dash towards land. His shirt was gone, but his pants were there, so he threw those on quickly. The girls all screamed as they saw Percy's naked behind. Phoebe even yelled, "I'm blinded!", although it was in a slightly joking tone.

Even Artemis turned a little red, but whether it was a blush or anger no one could tell. When Percy finished putting his pants on, he ran over to the Hunt and bowed. "I'm sorry. I had no idea." Thalia chuckled at Percy's reaction. Artemis looked over to Thalia, "What's so funny?". "Oh nothing, Artemis. It's just that Percy has never been that formal or respectful. We all know he likes to provoke the gods.", Thalia responded. "Is that so?", Artemis asked. Looking back down to Percy, she gazed at his muscular back. It was only a second of gazing before she shook her head and brought herself back to reality. She then noticed how many scars were on Percy's back. "Boy. Stand up. And don't move.", Artemis ordered. Percy complied and awaited his punishment.

Rather than hit him, Artemis began tracing all of Percy's scars with her finger. Percy had the urge to burst out laughing, but he stayed still. _Her hands are soft...uh...stop it Percy!, _Percy thought as he shivered. His body still pulsed with his wish to laugh. _I'm going to have to make Perseus explain what exactly down there._, Artemis thought as she continued to trace his scars with one finger, noticing how ticklish he was. All of the girls began to snicker at Artemis' actions. Artemis whipped her head around, "What?". Thalia continued to snicker, "You like what you feel?". Artemis let go quickly and turned red, this time definitely blushing. "Run 50 laps, now!", Artemis barked. The girls groaned, but set off. "Perseus!" Percy jerked to attention, "Yes, my lady?". "Go wash the dishes. I will talk to you later concerning your..experiences...in Tartarus." Percy nodded, and walked away. _Gods, what am I doing, touching a man? No more of that! I will push him to his limit. Tomorrow, _Artemis thought. She then walked away towards her hunters, who were still running their laps, breathing heavily.

Once they had finished, dinner was eaten. Once again, Artemis cooked, and Percy served. Once again, Percy's tongue melted as soon as the food touched it. He gave a slight gasp at the deliciousness, once again making him smile in happiness. The girls all laughed at him again. Once they were done, they all went to sleep. Percy finished cleaning and drying the plates, by hand of course, Lady Artemis never allowed him to use his powers. Percy moved into his own tent, which was located farther away from the other tents. He hopped onto bed, thinking one last thought: This won't be too bad, right?

**Another AN: I'm trying to make Artemis strict, but not so strict where she can't interact with men at all. But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! I will continue to update daily for a few days, but once I'm back at school next week it will simmer down to maybe once or twice a week. Review! Anything is awesome! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Broken Image

Chapter 3: Death and Anger

There was a knocking sound on the door of the tent/cabin. Percy heard the noise, but he refused to get up. Another knock was given. Percy still ignored it and covered his head with a pillow. Whoever was knocking on the door left, Percy perceived due to the silence that engulfed the room once again. Five minutes later, someone kicked down the door, letting bright sunlight in. "What do you want?!", Percy burst as he sat up. Artemis stormed in, her hair messy still. She picked Percy up and threw him off of his bed. "Get up already!", Artemis shouted. Percy yelped and threw on a shirt before scrambling out of his tent. The girls all laughed at his actions, but of course they were forgiving. At least Thalia was. The others hadn't really warmed up to Percy, most likely because of Artemis' slight annoyance at him. The girls set up the table while Percy set the tableware. After finishing breakfast, the Hunt all left to do their daily exercises and training, leaving Percy to clean up their mess.

Percy felt tired. The breakfast food was really sticky, so he had to really scrape hard. It was even more frustrating when Artemis threw a rock at him every time he attempted to use his water powers, yelling "Nope!". Percy had actually been hit by those rocks, causing some bruises and slight bleeding. _Why the Hades does she hate me? I guess everyone is the same, not appreciating the help they're given._, Percy thought. In his heart, he knew he could never not help. At least, that's what he thought. It also helped that Percy thought Artemis' anger was actually quite cute, to an extent.

In the morning, Percy cooked and served breakfast. He had learned from Artemis herself, although he did burn himself a couple of times with oil anyways even with her supervision. He then did basic cleaning and then washed the clothes. Percy was initially mortified at the fact that he had to wash the Hunt's underwear, but he got over it. It wasn't _too_ bad, although he did scream like a little girl the first time he realized that the clothes were wet with sweat, not water. Percy did feel a little degraded, but at least he was occupied. It seemed that his mental state continued to deteriorate. He would sulk more every day; he would have episodes of his time in Tartarus where he would convulse in fear and pain. They would only last a few minutes in reality, but to Percy they lasted an eternity. The Hunt did not know about his sulking or episodes. He tried to hide them, acting as if everything was fine, even though it wasn't fine. Percy ignored all of the harsh treatment, hoping that he wouldn't explode from anger. Although he disliked the treatment that made him feel like some sort of enemy, he didn't want to hurt anybody. This went on for about a month, until one day.

One day, he did crack. It was a cloudy morning. Breakfast did not go well. Percy had gotten his food with 'extra' salt. The usually good cooking was tainted, of course being the day when Percy didn't cook; Phoebe cooked. Percy spat out his food and started rubbing his tongue, trying to get the taste of salt off. The huntresses all snickered, but Percy regained his composure and dumped his food onto the ground with respect. Following the oh so great breakfast for Percy, he was sent to feed the wolves by Artemis. The wolves were in their own tent, which had cages and beds for them to sleep. Silently tiptoeing in, Percy made his way to the first cage, quietly throwing food into the wolves' cages. There was no noise, which made Percy nervous. The second that the last wolf received his food, there was a growling. Percy turned around quickly and saw that the wolves' cages were actually open. _Aww fuck, _was Percy's last thought before the wolves all leaped towards him.

The Hunt was leaping from tree to tree, scouting out a large Drakon. They all were silent, pulling out their daggers and bows. Artemis nodded at the huntresses, and hell broke loose. Katie leaped onto the Drakon, stabbing it in the tail, but then it threw her off. Thalia shot an arrow into its side, but it only got angrier. The Drakon charged at Thalia, but she jumped out of the way before she could get slammed by its large head. Phoebe jumped down and attempted to take it down with her hands. This reckless move, however, caused the Drakon to flip itself over and crush Phoebe. The sound of ribs cracking could be heard; it was grueling. "Phoebe!", Artemis yelled as she herself now jumped into battle. The other huntresses provided cover with arrows as the goddess dashed forward with mad speed. The volley of arrows kept enough of a distraction for Artemis to get in close and stab the Drakon's stomach. Artemis dragged the knife up to its chest before leaping back and showering two arrows into its eyes. In blind rage, literally, the Drakon began to spit its acidic venom in globs everywhere. Artemis was lucky enough to take cover due to her insane speed, but Phoebe was not so lucky. She got hit full on by the venom, causing her to scream in agony as she was carried away by two of the other huntresses.

A scream was then heard coming from the camp. This distracted the Hunt and allowed the Drakon to slither away, leaving a trail of its messy blood with it. Artemis sighed in defeat as she and the hunters quickly carried Phoebe back to treat her wounds, and also to check on the scream. As the Hunt approached their campsite, the sounds of whimpering wolves could be heard. Artemis sprinted over to the wolves' tent. "What happened?", she asked herself. Looking around, Artemis saw Percy sitting in the corner, wiping blood off of his mouth. The wolves were all unconscious and most were not badly injured. Percy spat a glob of bloody spit and answered, "_Someone _forgot to shut the wolves' cages. I wonder who did? Was it Thalia? You? Phoebe? I am_ sick _and _tired_ of taking all of this shit. Treat me with respect! Is that so hard? I've saved all of your lives! I took the sky from you! You are no better than Zeus!" Percy spat out all of those words with the same venom he had back on Olympus. Percy stormed out, heading to the lake once more. At that same moment, Thalia walked in with a grim face, her eyes slightly wet. "Lady Artemis. Phoebe. Phoebe is...n-no more", Thalia whispered. Artemis shook her head, replaying the message. _Dead, _she thought. A storm then broke out, and Artemis' own storm of tears also erupted.

Artemis, still crying, made her way to the infirmary where all of the huntresses were gathered around. After a couple of speeches and even more tears, Artemis whispered a spell that caused Phoebe's body to turn a silver, and then disperse to the stars with a light of sparkling silver. "You. Are all dismissed.", Artemis said before leaving at a brisk pace towards her own tent. Laying there in distraught, she finally managed to fall asleep, letting the guard of the entire camp down.

Percy's POV:

I am done. After all I've been through, I can't believe it. Not one person at that camp gives me any respect, save Thalia. I am not going to sit there, do their work, and then get harassed. Enough. All of a sudden I felt a tingling at my neck, and my eyes began to close. _No. Not again. _And with that, I fell into the lake once more, going into another episode of pain and memories.

Third Person POV

_"Perseus, welcome back. Today we're going to learn about fire.", Kronos said with glee. Kronos then lit his scythe with a golden fire, making it illuminate with destruction and power. Percy winced a little. The scythe was so bright that it caused Percy to shut his eyes. Kronos walked forward and pressed the scythe into Percy's forearm, allowing the smell of burning flesh to fill the already pungent air. Percy bit his lip, forcing himself not to scream. The last time he screamed out of pain, he was forced to swallow the Drakon acid found in their venom. That was not something Percy wanted to experience again. His throat burned for days and it felt as if he was getting choked from the inside, which he probably was. After the searing from his arm stopped, Kronos then began to swipe Percy's chest with the heated blade. This caused new scars to appear, overtaking the old ones that seemed to start fading. Blood poured out of Percy's chest, dissipating before it hit the ground due to the heat. Kronos then began to write on Percy's back different letters and symbols, all just to pain Percy. This process lasted for the entire 'day' in Tartarus. "Oh Percy. I need your help!", Kronos yelled. Wait, what did he just say? "Wake up, Seaweed Brain!", Kronos yelled again. This time, Kronos shook Percy violently, knocking Percy out of his episode of fear._

"Bwah. What's happening?", Percy asked as he shot up, sweating on the grass. Thalia had found Percy laying there, convulsing and whimpering, and woke him up. "Hurry, 3 Drakons are attacking! No one has enough strength to attack but you because of our earlier hunt! And because Phoebe's dead Artemis is useless right now! C'mon!", Thalia beckoned in a panicky voice. Percy sighed, realizing that once again he had to help. He knew Thalia would strike him with lightning to get him to help anyway. Percy and Thalia scrambled back to the camp, Percy still feeling the searing pain of Kronos. As they got closer to the camp, the sound of the Drakons could be heard. Most of the huntresses had gotten up and scrambled into the trees hiding quietly. They had no time to grab their weapons, so now they could only watch the Drakons slither around, sniffing for prey. The wolves were still out of commission due to Percy.

The Drakons then ripped the door of Artemis' tent. They proceeded to tear it up and threw the 'walls' of the tent to the other side of the campsite. A startled and dazed Artemis appeared in front of the Drakons. She screamed and tried to run, but they surrounded her. Due to the fact that when a huntress dies, Artemis becomes weakened and in pain emotionally for a while, she was stunned. The tallest remembered Artemis as the one who had stabbed him from earlier. It gave her a glare which she gave one back, but it was all bluff. The Drakons circled around her, making their way closer and closer in order to go in for the slow and painful constriction. Before they could fully enclose her, a lightning bolt flew and struck one a the Drakons, throwing it and its companions off of Artemis. Percy jumped in with a battle cry and Riptide raised. Slicing the smallest Drakon's head off first, he then rolled away quickly and faced the other two. They tried to spit venom at Percy but he quickly dodged. The two sides glared at each other, slowly circling around waiting for the opponent to attack first. The medium Drakon was too cocky, and quickly snapped at Percy with its powerful jaws, but missed and in return was stabbed in the belly. Percy summoned water and hardened it into a makeshift spear, impaling the bloody Drakon and impaling it onto a tree, where it lied in pain. _Two down, one left_, Percy thought as he analyzed the largest Drakon. This one was much more cunning, and clearly had many fights won with its experience.

The Drakon used its tail and swept dust up at Percy's eyes, who in turned yelled and dropped Riptide. The Drakon then used its tail to swipe Percy on the chest, spurting red blood onto the ground. Percy then reacted quickly and flipped backwards, grabbing Riptide once more. The Drakon then made a mistake: it tried to attack Artemis while she sat there. Seeing the Drakon's new target, Percy's eyes widened and he threw Riptide to intercept. Riptide's hilt slammed into the Drakon with such a force that stopped it in its tracks. Percy began to see in only anger, jumping onto the Drakon's head and pummeling it with his fists. "You. Will. Not. Touch. Her.", Percy whispered with seething anger, which Artemis did catch. Percy then grabbed its skull, and ripped it in half, ending its life. Even that cruel action the Hunt could not stand as they all looked away in disgust. Smiling with victory, Percy then trudged over to Artemis and picked her up bridal style. She hated feeling to useless, but she couldn't do anything about it. Percy carried her over to his tent, which also had a ripped off door, and laid her in his bed. "Sleep well, I guess", he muttered, before collapsing on the floor right there. He could feel old wounds opening up again with all of the new wounds he had just received. He could feel the warm blood trickling down everywhere. He heard the sounds of the huntresses rushing over to him and gasping before he blacked out.

**AN: Hey what's up guys?! Hoped you liked this. I don't think it was good, but you can decide if you want. I really thank you all for the positive reviews and support. Tell me how this chapter was? I really want to get to the actual Pertemis soon, so if this feels a little rushed, that may be why. Also, Phoebe's death is a little sad, and Artemis' reaction may have been over the top to be putting her useless, but bear with me! I needed to make her useless somehow! But anyways, have a good day! And wait for the next chapter! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Broken Image

Chapter 4: Walls Crumble

Artemis' POV:

I only slept for an hour before I woke up. I only had a couple of scratches, but I felt terrible most likely because of my state of emotional distress. Stupid emotion. I remembered that Percy was in trouble and I immediately jumped out of his bed. Once again the bo- man saved us, even after we had treated him horribly. I made my way over to the infirmary, where I heard Diana, our main medic besides me. Percy was laying on a bed, unconscious with many, many bandages all over his body. I walked over to Diana, "He's okay, right?". She nodded, "Yeah he'll be fine, but it seems that he is in some sort of a comatose state. Every so often Percy would shake, swinging his arms or head with a pained face. I couldn't help but feel even more guilty to my earlier actions. I walked up to Percy's bed and pulled a chair. I sat down, and stared at Percy's face, realizing how much of a baby Percy looked like while sleeping. Drool slid down from his mouth, and when his head shook again in pain some of the saliva flew onto my cheek. I quickly rubbed it off, "Aww gross! Stupid men!". Okay, maybe he's still a boy.

He muttered, "Save me. Someone. Thalia. Dad. Artemis." I froze at the last comment. Artemis? What did he have to do with me? He probably said my name on accident. I was flattered that he would call to me for help, but I still wanted to distance myself from him. I didn't want another Orion situation. I never really loved Orion himself. He just had great abilities. Infatuation is a strong force, I had learned. Percy then muttered, "Please. Anyone.". His face contorted in even more pain. My sense of compassion overcame myself. I couldn't let another person stay in pain. Zeus was right; the Hunt really was falling apart. I then realized that I didn't know _how _I could help him. Well, he is the son of Poseidon, so maybe water will work. I summoned a bucket of water and instantly poured it onto him. His physical wounds started to heal, but he stayed unconscious and continued to throw a tantrum of suffering.

I sighed in frustration, but then had a great idea! I would enter his mind state, similar to when gods enter dreams of a demigod. Closing my eyes, and concentrating on Percy, I snapped my fingers and warped into Percy's mind. My body fell unconscious and my head dropped onto Percy's chest. I felt like I was falling and falling until I hit the bottom. The floor was dark and cold. In front of me I saw Percy chained by both hands to two pillars of obsidian. I quickly hid behind a rock, and watched the scene unfold. Nyx had blindfolded Percy. He stood there, looking around, trying to scout out where Nyx was. She was circling around him, holding her special set of night daggers, _Nox_. The set of daggers included 10 sharp throwing knives made from night, or at least its manifestation in solid form.

Percy continued moving his head around. Nyx then gave an evil smile, "Over here, Perseus". Percy turned his head over to the noise as Nyx threw a dagger. It flew with incredible speed, wedging itself into Percy's right arm. He screamed in agony as the dagger punctured through his bone. I winced as I saw the blood spurt from him. I knew how bad Tartarus was for monsters, but this was just insane. This type of treatment was overkill.

I could do nothing but watch until he continued to be cut and torn. He blacked out and fell unconscious. Nyx left Percy on the floor as she walked away. Taking this opportunity, I ran forward to Percy's unconscious body. Using my godly powers, I transferred some of my energy into to him, waking him up. "Artemis. How are you here in my head?", he whispered. I wiped some blood off of his face, "Goddess magic. You wanna get out of here? I've seen what happens in your brain." Percy nodded. I snapped my fingers, trying to pull us out of his mind. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "Ah, crap."

"What?"

I looked back down, "It seems as if I can't bring us out, only you can. How did you get out before?"

"I had to die.", he said with a solemn voice.

I looked at him in worry. "Die? How?"

"Well there are two options this time. Let me bleed out, or kill me. I suggest killing me, my lady. It will end my pain quicker."

I nodded sadly, but then summoned my dagger. He closed his eyes as he waited for his end. I raised my hand and stabbed him in the heart, adding to the blood that was already on his chest. His eyes stayed closed, and his body fell limp. Seeing his dead body made me feel nauseous, almost unbearable. As soon as he fully died, I felt my own self being sucked out again. My vision went black, but I felt my consciousness return to my body. I was tired though, so I fell asleep completely, oblivious to the fact that I was still on Percy's chest.

Percy's POV:

I can't believe it worked. She actually came. I had called her, but only out of desperation, of course. It's not like she liked me anyways. I was most likely saved from pity, and the fact that I'm a good maid, if I say so myself. If it weren't for her, I'd be in for more pain, so I am grateful no matter the situation. Once I regained feeling of my body, I felt so cold. I did, however have a very warm feeling in my chest. It was tingling. I sat up, but then I realized that Artemis was the source of heat. Her hair was a messy bundle of brown. I slowly moved her head off of my head, but her face scrunched up like a little girl. I chuckled lightly at the face, wishing that I had a camera to take a picture. I quickly maneuvered myself off of the infirmary cot, laying her head back down on the cot, which was warm enough for her face to become normal again. I stretched, and the cracking of my bones felt so nice. I felt as though I had slept for a thousand years, when I only slept for about a day.

I walked outside, squinting at the bright sunlight. I moved back to my tent, changing into fresher clothes. After putting on my shirt, I went back out to the middle of camp where a campfire was burning. I sat down and just took a break. I was so ridiculously tired. Before I could really take a big break, the huntresses circled me as they sat down around the campfire. I looked up to see all of them staring at me expectantly. Knowing that they wanted to know what happened between Artemis and I, I sighed.

"Alright. What do you want to know?", I asked placing my hands up in defeat.

"Everything.", the entire Hunt said in unison.

I sighed once again, "Well it all started when I got back. I fell unconscious and Artemis sent me to her own bed in her palace. That day was the first time I had an episode of my memories, but this one was different. Nyx had actually 'visited' me, telling me that Kronos had carved a curse onto me that makes me relive each and every one of my days in Tartarus, totaling up to 10 years' worth of pain. I then woke up, and I saw Artemis with her shirt off." I quickly closed my mouth and tried to cover it with my hands. Thalia practically yelled, "You WHAT?!". She then leaped onto me and started to strangle me with her cold hands. I gasped with a lack of breath, "It was an accident. I woke up when she was undressing. She knew I saw. She still had a bra on! Eck!". Thalia stopped choking me, but then she threw back onto the seat. "Continue", she said with a voice of steel, still mad about the 'incident'.

"Well after that...incident... I was sent here. Ever since I've been here, I've sneaked out in the middle of night and blacked out in the water. I have these episodes in the water, but this time I had a prolonged episode because I was so tired.", I continued. I then went on to describe exactly what happened in the dream with lots of detail. I ended with waking up and seeing Artemis on my chest, making sure not to mention the warm feeling I had.

Once I ended, I looked back up to see all of the Hunt staring at me once more. They all huddled together, whispering and sneaking back looks at me. That made me feel really nervous. Thalia broke off the group, walking up to Percy with her arms crossed. "Do you care about her?", she asked sternly. Do I care...about Artemis? I mean yeah, don't get me wrong it's not like I don't like her. But...yeah I guess I do. The fact that she helped out of my comatose state countered the past month of pranking and pain. "Y-yeah. I guess.", I replied with a slightly questioning tone. Thalia accepted the answer as I saw her give a curt nod. "Well then from now on, the Hunt has appointed you as Artemis' official caretaker.", she announced with a slight smile. "Wait what?!", I exclaimed with exasperation, "What do you mean?"

"Look here, Kelp Boy, she can clearly help you with her problems. Because of that, you are going to help her with her problems as well. You will watch over her; you will help her; you will make sure she does not get hurt. You will be her guardian, essentially, understood?", she finalized.

I nodded, "Fair enough."

"Also, if you hurt her...well you'll see. Oh, and don't let her know you are this 'Guardian'."

Once again, I nodded. I then walked away and moved back to the infirmary in order to check on Artemis. The infirmary was empty besides Artemis sleeping on the cot. I walked over her sleeping body, admiring how such a dangerous person could look so adorable when sleeping. Adorable? Oh gods. I sneezed on accident and I woke her up. I froze as I saw her burst her eyes open and jump off of the cot. She leaped on to me and held a death grip on my neck. Rather than her eyes be in anger, they actually were in fear. She then realized it was me, but she didn't get off immediately. She looked into my eyes with some sort of curiosity, and then she got off of me. She coughed, "Err...good morning." I laughed, replying "It's noon, but whatever."

"Oh shut up. We've got work to do.", Artemis said with her strict voice once again. I chuckled softly once more, _Well this is going to be a blast. _I followed her outside, staying in stride behind her. She walked back over to her Hunt, giving them a few orders before resuming her usual planning back in her tent. I walked over to her again, pulling up a seat. I looked at the map on her desk that showed our camp grounds. She sat down and looked at me for a second, but then looked at her map once again. She nibbled on her pencil eraser and began analyzing the map, planning up targets for traps and recon points. She sighed in defeat. "What's wrong?", I asked carefully. She looked up, snorted, and looked back down. "You know, you could place a net trap here, because there is a lot of shrubbery. Over here, there is enough grass for land traps, possibly mud traps and stink bombs. Over here, there are tall trees good for recon and arrow sniping.", I spurted. I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. She smiled, "Go on, Perseus. I'll mark it all." We continued to mark and plan, her smile getting larger and larger. That was the best smile I've ever seen.

**AN: Hey, how you guys doing? I'm doing well. Anyways I hope you guys liked this chapter. It was pretty fun to write. IMPORTANT: This will be the last chapter for a while. A while really means three or four days, because school is back and I am super busy. I apologize, but I can't really do anything about it. :( Anyways, I hope you guys give me feedback, have a wonderful day! :D**

** -Proton(Yes I'm a dude, just in case anyone wanted to know) **


	5. Chapter 5

Broken Image

Chapter 5: Night

A boar rummaged around in the foliage. The leaves were now colored yellow and orange, marking autumn's arrival. As the boar dug around for grubs to eat, it failed to notice the shadows lurking around next to it. The shadows continued to move around on the floor while the boar ate his catch hungrily. The boar heard a twig snap and it looked up from its meal. It narrowed its large eyes and warily walked around in circles, watching around for any signs of movement. A familiar _twang_ split the air, and the boar squealed in pain. Dark blood flew out of its thigh, and it dropped down to the floor. It quickly attempted to get back up, placing all of its weight on its right leg instead of its left. Another _twang_ split the air and the boar felt its front right leg get pierced as well. It crashed down onto the ground, squealing in pain. 5 figures landed next to its still body. The boar tensed up as it stared at its attackers. 4 of the people wore silver clothing and were female and the last one was a male wearing black clothing. The boar heard the man mutter something before its life was ended by a silver knife.

Percy picked up the boar and slung it over his shoulder. He grunted at the initial weight, but then he was fine. He didn't say a single word to the huntresses who followed him. They marched on back to camp, which wasn't too far away. Percy could hear the huntresses talking amongst themselves, staying far enough from Percy that he could not hear them. Three days had passed since the Drakon incident and Percy's appointment to 'watch' over Artemis' well-being. Even though that was the huntresses' decision, he was still treated like an alien by most of them, except Thalia and Artemis, who barely tolerated him. It just felt unnatural for him to have not seen another boy in so long. He wondered if anyone missed him. Probably not. His mom did, for sure. He had called her through Iris Message before, but it didn't last too long since Percy had a lot of work to do.

The group arrived at camp. Artemis came over to them to check what they had killed. "I see it was successful?", she asked. Percy and the other huntresses nodded. May responded, "C'mon, Lady Artemis, we are skilled huntresses." Artemis nodded and chuckled, "Oh I wasn't worried about you. I was worried that this bumbling fool might screw it up." The other huntresses chuckled as well before taking the boar off of Percy's shoulder and carrying it to storage. Artemis watched them walk away before turning to Percy. "Alright, Perseus, we are going to Olympus today. Zeus wants to check up on us.", Artemis said, the last sentence with a little more anger than the first. Artemis was so moody, Percy thought. One second she could be worried and caring for Percy, and then the next she could be punching him in the face. He would never understand women if he hung around with Artemis. He had grown to like the silver eyed goddess, even after all of the abuse he'd been through. Both of them, in fact, had stopped constantly arguing with each other as well as getting angry quickly.

Percy walked over to the fire in the center and sat down on a log. He was tired from jumping from tree to tree. Although he was muscular and strong, his climbing and parkour skills were not as honed. He breathed out, his legs feeling cramped. He tried to stand up again, but his legs would hurt too much. Percy could probably walk, but that would not help the healing process. 5 minutes later, Artemis walked over and told Percy, "We're going to Olympus now. Ready?". Before Percy could say no, he stood up and they flashed off to Olympus. The two landed in the middle of the throne room where all of the other gods were sitting there. Artemis landed on her two feet, of course. Percy, however, had not gotten over his leg cramps. This caused him to land, wobble around, and then fall flat on his face. Percy groaned, and he heard Aphrodite giggle loudly. "Dad? A little help?", Percy asked. Poseidon smiled and stood up to get his son, but Aphrodite of course ran first. Poseidon opened his mouth to stop her, but then closed his mouth and sat back down. Aphrodite picked him up and scurried with him in her arms back to her throne.

Aphrodite laid Percy over her lap, making him lay there. Percy tried to struggle and break free, but it seemed that Aphrodite had really strong arms. Eventually, he sighed and laid there, relaxing a little. He couldn't complain that laying in Aphrodite was uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite comfortable, but it just didn't feel right in his gut. Before his thoughts could distract him any further, Zeus bellowed out with his thunderous voice, "Alright. Let the meeting begin!". Almost everyone rolled their eyes as Zeus displayed his theatrics. "First of all, I thank Athena for taking care of the slight outbreak of monsters." Athena nodded, while Artemis snorted. Athena glared at Artemis. "Oh sorry, three Drakons from that outbreak made it all the way to camp.", Artemis said sarcastically. Zeus raised an eyebrow, "How did that go?"

Artemis did not expect that question. "Well, uh, father, because of my lack of a stable state, I was unable to fight. One of the Drakon had killed one of my huntresses outside of the camp. Later on was when all three attacked." Zeus had a solemn face when he heard of the death of Phoebe. Shuddering a bit at Zeus' quietness, she continued, "Perseus had left earlier in the day due to some...problems. But he later returned and killed all of the Drakons. Afterward, he fell asleep and had another episode, but I saved him by entering his mind." Zeus and Poseidon raised their eyebrows at the word 'episode'. Poseidon looked at his niece, "Episode? What episode?". Artemis looked over, "You don't know?".

Percy now stepped into the conversation, "It's not a big deal, dad." Poseidon looked over to his son with sad eyes. "I lost you for two years Percy. I will not let you be in any more pain." Percy could see the sincerity and pain in his father's eyes. Percy nodded and gulped. "Well, it started once I came back. When I fell asleep, Nyx visited me in my dream state, telling me that I would relive every memory of my time in Tartarus. When I was passed out, I once again had another episode. Artemis managed to come in and save me killing me in my dream. I can only get out once I die or pass out, the former happening more than the latter. I've died so many times I'm used to the feeling now, so don't worry. I've had an episode every day so far." As he looked around to see their reactions, he could see one clear emotion: Guilt. Except for Artemis. She had a face of anger. "Perseus! You haven't told me! I thought the episodes 'barely happened'!", she shouted while air quoting him. He flinched at her scary voice which was filled with concern. "I thought it wouldn't help if you knew. Plus, I'm a male, so I also thought you would use it as some sort of evil prank or something.", Percy retorted in exasperation. Artemis' face softened. She knew that they were hard on him, but for the first time she actually sympathized with a male.

"Oh.", was all Artemis could squeak out. Aphrodite pulled Percy in closer, attempting to comfort him. Artemis looked down with a tint of shame, and also with a little bit of rage as she was reminded of Aphrodite's antics with Percy. _There is nothing to be mad about. Percy has no intentions with Aphrodite. Right_, Artemis pondered. Zeus cleared his throat to get rid of the awkwardness, "Well, Perseus. I thank you helping my daughter. I hope you continue to help her and her Hunt." Percy nodded, "Hey Zeus? Could you tell Aphrodite to let me go?" Zeus nodded;it was the least he could do, "Aphrodite, please." She pouted at first, but then smiled, "Only if you give me a kiss on the cheek, Perce." Percy rolled his eyes, but then cupped his hands around her face and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Some gods chuckled while others glared. Aphrodite turned red and giggled with joy while Artemis fumed. She didn't know why she was angry, but she was. She assumed it was because she hated how easily Percy kissed Aphrodite, and not her. Artemis gulped. _Wait, what did I just think? Pure accident, _she reasoned. Percy got off of Aphrodite's lap and stretched, smiling at his freedom.

He quickly went over to Artemis. "My lady, you have no idea how I've missed your presence.", he greeted cheekily. Artemis huffed and spat out in anger, "You done flirting with the love goddess yet?". Before Percy could say, "What are you talking about?", he was cut off by her angry stare. She then teleported away, leaving Percy in Olympus' throne room. Still in confusion, he shook his head and felt guilty for reasons that he could not fathom. He walked over to his father, who stood by his throne. "Hey dad.", he started.

"Percy.", Poseidon responded before pulling Percy into a quick and manly hug. "How's life with the Hunt?"

"It's okay, I guess. It could be better. When I was there they would prank or abuse me, slightly."

"Well, you're okay with it, right?"

"Yeah, it's not too bad. Not as bad as Tartarus, I think.", Percy joked.

Poseidon was glad that Percy hadn't taken it too seriously, or so he thought. Percy was really just good at hiding pain and hurt. He had learned to do so well back in Tartarus. "Hey dad, I should probably go now. Could you teleport me?", Percy asked. Poseidon nodded, "Oh and I'll give you the power to teleport next to any body of water, no matter how small. So you can teleport onto a rain drop. Practice" . Poseidon waved and winked, and Percy was sent off.

A thump and a groan was heard. Percy had landed face first onto Artemis. His face ended up on her belly. Percy froze for a second, not sure where he was. Artemis coughed and crossed her arms, waiting for Percy to get off. Percy sniffed the fabric, realizing it was Artemis' intoxicating forest smell. It was absolutely amazing. He quickly sat up, but he longed for the smell again. _Gods, that's an amazing smell. Knock it off brain. No you knock it off! No you!_, Percy argued. "Perseus, did you just sniff me?", Artemis asked, her arms still crossed. She glared at him, _hard._ Laughing nervously, Percy answered, "Maybe?" Artemis continued to bore into his body, making him quake in fear. "How do I smell?", she asked bluntly. Artemis had never been the type to question her body, but she was curious. Percy turned red and flushed with embarrassment, especially since the Hunt surrounded them now. "My lady, you smell like the forest;it's great. And honestly, I think it's quite intoxicating.", he sputtered, covering his mouth at that last part. Artemis also blushed a little now, but then gave a strict nod of approval.

Whispers traveled through the Hunt as they heard Percy's response. Artemis and Percy both stood up, and walked in opposite directions. Artemis walked to her huntresses to tell them about the meeting while Percy went over to the lake. It was dusk, and night was almost here, but Percy didn't really care. He climbed up a tree and sat, looking out to the calm lake and the bright moon. Just seeing the water made his mind and body calm down. He couldn't quite see why Artemis had seemed so mad at him. He hadn't done anything. Aphrodite was the one who trapped him with her magical arms of strength. He sighed, not really wanting to think about it anymore. He cared for Artemis, but sometimes she made it so difficult. He threw his arms up and laid there in the tree, just letting his mind be free and peaceful.

(Break of Lines)

Artemis had finished recounting the meeting on Olympus, so now she made her way to the lake. The lake was her favorite place when she wanted to let herself relax. There was a really tall tree that she loved to sit and just stare at the moon's reflection. She decided to save time and teleported herself to the highest branch of the tree. She landed with absolute silence, as if she had not even been there. She saw the placid lake and the moon's reflection sitting there absolutely still. She smiled at her emblem, and closed her eyes. She loved the sound of water as it lapped the sand. Despite being a daughter of the Lord of the Skies, she always loved water more. She heard the water begin to move more. Bubbles formed and they began to take different shapes. One was a fish, another was the moon, another was a large star. The one that took her breath away was actually one of _her_. A majestic bubble picture of her shooting an arrow while the moon shone behind her. Now she really wanted to know who was doing that. She reached out her senses and tracked every aura near her. There was only one, and he was sitting right under her branch.

"Perseus?", Artemis asked loudly. She didn't mind, knowing that the rest of the huntresses were sleeping. She heard a soft reply, "My lady?". She then saw the rustling of of leaves and branches before a figure with black hair and sea green eyes. Percy moved over and sat next to her, keeping a small space in between them. "Was that you drawing all of those images?", Artemis asked, although she knew the answer. He nodded, looking into her eyes. "You liked my picture of you?", he questioned. She nodded, "How did you come up with it?". "I remember you looking like that during the Giant War.", Percy replied. Artemis was surprised at his memory. Why was he even watching her? Almost as if Percy could read her mind, "You looked so strong and stunning as you sliced through the enemies. Actually you almost distracted me from finishing Gaea off." Percy chuckled at that idea while Artemis tried to hide her blush. Percy noticed this, "Why do you try to hide yourself so much? Everyone has emotions. Don't make yourself a void because of some oath." She thought about Percy's words of wisdom. She agreed with him, for once since a while.

"Hey Artemis, can I ask you something?', Percy asked, breaking the silence. She nodded. "Why were you so mad at me after Olympus?" Just remembering what had happened brought slight rage into her face again. "Because you were just laying there in Aphrodite's arms! Because you weren't fighting against it! Because you were actually comfortable laying in that seductress' arms! Because maybe I wanted you to be near me!", she exploded in exasperation. Percy's eyes widened in shock. He had never realized how Artemis would react. The two sat in silence, just looking at the water. Percy's knee had moved over to Artemis' leg. Artemis was in her 18 year old form, rather than her normal 12 year old form. "I'm sorry. I wanted to move, but she had insanely strong arms. Knowing I couldn't move, I just decided to get comfortable. I didn't realize...", he apologized. She looked over to him, seeing his sincerity. She felt better knowing that Percy wasn't trying anything, but she was also embarrassed at her blind anger. Her shoulder had moved closer to Percy's and they leaned on each other. They were both looking out onto the water once more.

Both of them enjoyed the feeling of their bodies resonating with the other. Their breathing was in sync. Without them realizing it, their hands intertwined, although only loosely. They stared at each other with wide eyes, but neither really wanted to let go. They looked away quickly, enclosing their hands even more. Artemis looked back, "Perseus...why are we doing this?" Percy looked back, "Our hands are cold. And since we are friends, we will warm each others hands." Artemis smiled, agreeing with Percy's words for the second time. Just friends, she thought. She wasn't exactly satisfied, but it was better than nothing. The two sat there, enjoying each others presence. They stayed there the entire night, just sitting there in complete silence. Even Percy who had little patience at times could calm himself to staying there.

Once the sun began to rise, they climbed down and headed back to camp. They let go of each others hands once the temperature became 'warm' enough. Of course, they had a small sense of longing to hold hands, but both quickly pushed it away. The pair arrived to see the Hunt already eating breakfast. They joined the table and ate as well. Everyone quickly devoured their breakfast. Thalia looked over to Percy and Artemis, "Where were you two?". Artemis quickly attempted to think of something to say, but Percy said, "Oh she woke up early, and I followed to make sure she was safe." Thalia narrowed her eyes, but nodded. Artemis let her breath out as soon as the lie was accepted. Although they were all fine with Percy, physical contact was not something really allowed.

Today, the Hunt was visiting Camp Half-Blood once more. Percy was glad. He had missed meeting all of his old friends. He knew that they had all tried to argue for his return, except _her._ It hurt knowing he would be going back near _her, _but he knew that he would have to get over it. He had a new family, one that would last truly forever, he hoped. Percy wanted to close up his relations, but for now he let himself allow friendships to be created. An Iris Message appeared for Percy, who was packing up his tent. He answered the message. Hestia appeared in front of him. "Lady Hestia?", Percy asked. She nodded, "Percy, could you help me out? I need for you to save a demigod. A child." Her eyes were in sadness, forcing Percy to agree. Hestia gave him the location of the house where the child was living. "Hey Artemis, you guys go to camp first. I need to go do something first.", Percy said. Artemis raised an eyebrow and looked at him skeptically, but she nodded. The Hunt went off, and Percy did as well.

Percy arrived in Manhattan. He felt nostalgia embrace him, but he knew that he had a mission to do. For some reason, he felt a sense of impending doom. He made his way to the apartment where his target was. Coincidentally, the apartment was near his mother's, which gave him even more of an uneasy feeling. He walked up to the apartment and leaned on the door. He could hear voices. One voice, belonging to some man, said, "Are you ready to carry out her last plans?" The other man replied, "Yep." Percy was very confused, but whatever it was, it didn't sound good. He broke down the door. The two men looked at him and then widened their eyes. Percy quickly drew out Riptide. "What are you two doing?", Percy questioned warily. Although he knew they were mortals, there was something about them that revealed that they knew about the gods. Their eyes were more dull and they looked completely disheveled and dead. The two looked at each other before smiling, "Gaea's final revenge, Perseus Jackson." One of them grabbed a remote and pressed it. Across the street, where Sally's apartment was, there was an explosion. Greek fire exploded and took out Sally's entire apartment, with Sally and Paul both in it. The two bodies dropped, and Eidolons flew off while cackling.

Percy wanted to sit there and sob, but he knew a little girl depended on him. He walked over and opened the locked door. There in the corner of the room was a small child with blonde hair and gray eyes. She sobbed, and looked up to see Percy standing there with a sword in his hand. She flinched back, "Get away!" Percy flinched at her harsh tone, but realized Riptide was still out. He clicked it and it became a pen again. He walked over to the girl slowly, "Hey, I'm Percy. I'm here to help you get away from here." She looked up, analyzing his voice and his actions. "Are you sure? You're a boy. You can't help. You're evil!", she yelled. "No I'm not. Your mom sent me to help .", Percy reasoned. The girl's eyes widened at the mention of her mother. She nodded and slowly made her way towards Percy. He held his hand out, waiting for her to grab it to show her trust. She made her way and placed her small hand into his larger palm. He led her out of the house and made it down to the street.

Percy and the girl walked from the street and made their way to the forest where Camp was located. "Hey, what's your name? I can't save someone I don't know the name to.", Percy asked with a little piece of humor, trying to get rid of the overwhelming sadness and rage of his heart. The girl looked up at him, "My name is Jenney." Percy smiled, "Well then, Jenney, it is very nice to meet you." The two of them were getting closer to Camp Half-Blood, maybe only 3 miles away. Percy's gut pulled in nervousness and a sense of fear. It was a sense he had not felt since..._Nyx_.

Percy turned his head around and looked everywhere. They were only a mile from camp now. He saw shadows flickering about. Quickly he turned to Jenney, "Hey. I need you to do something for me, okay?". She nodded. "Okay, I need you to run that way. Keep going until you find a camp. Find Lady Artemis, and tell her to come to me. Okay?", Percy asked. She once again nodded, now with more fear in her eyes. Percy hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. Jenney started to run quickly. She was a fast runner, and she knew Percy needed her to help him.

Percy looked back to the shadowy night. "Come out, Lady _Nyx_", he stated with complete and utter seriousness. He knew not to show emotions when around her, otherwise she would use it to get to him. A quiet chuckle came from a shadow. A blast of darkness went off in front of him, and from the darkness emerged a woman dressed in a black dress. She looked elegant, but it was all a ruse to fool her targets. She stepped forward and looked over to Percy. "Why Perseus, is that any way to treat _me_?", she asked, pretending to be hurt. Percy gritted his teeth. "What do you want?", he questioned with a tone full of anger and wary. "Isn't it simple? To kill you once and for all. You will not escape my wrath! Your sentence is death!", she screamed before lunging at him with her trademark dark daggers.

Percy quickly drew out Riptide and leaped sideways. It began to rain. Percy smiled at this;water would be extremely useful in fighting a Primordial Goddess. Percy stood up and held his sword in a position to block. Percy knew that playing offensive would not be smart, for Nyx was too powerful. He could not afford to allow his anger and sadness overtake him. Nyx threw three knives at him. Two of them he blocked, but the last one hit his arm. He gritted his teeth and flinched slightly. Blood spurted out of his arm. He pulled the knife out and strapped it to his arm. Nyx narrowed her eyes at this, very agitated. She disappeared into the nearest shadow without making a sound. Percy widened his, but quickly regained his sense of composure. He used his water senses to detect where water molecules were moving. He felt a presence right behind him. He turned around and threw Riptide in that direction. A scream pierced the darkness. Nyx fell from a tree and clutched her right hip. Riptide had punctured her hip and almost cut through her entire body. Silver blood flowed from where Riptide had landed.

Percy smiled in joy at crippling the goddess, but realized now that he had no weapons besides one of her dark daggers. He had to save that dagger;it was the only thing that could finish off the goddess. The goddess stood up and glared daggers at Percy. He flinched back slightly but held his ground. The goddess summoned a sword of darkness. She threw a couple of night shards at Percy who ran to the side weaving around to avoid the shards. In that time, Nyx moved forward at an incredible pace, holding her sword at a position to stab. Percy desperately looked at his surroundings. He then remembered his dad's gift to him. He closed his eyes, targeting a puddle behind Nyx. His gut pulled and he felt himself melt. A second later he moved instantaneously to the targeted puddle. Nyx stopped and turned around, but not before Percy had already grabbed her into a chokehold. She froze in shock for a couple of seconds, confused as to what has happened. She felt her breath began to fail and smashed the hilt of her sword into Percy's hip. He let go and let out a breath of pain, but not before she sliced his chest lightly, hitting where he had been cut by the Drakon.

Percy let out a huff of pain once again. He staggered backwards, backing up onto a tree. Blood poured down his chest, but the rain helped close it temporarily. He still felt a burning pain and the sense of despair grow. His mind replayed his anger when his mother had died, and then multiplied it by 100. Nyx's blade had multiplied his dark emotions, releasing his anger. Nyx smiled, thinking that she could win soon. Percy looked up at Nyx. His face turned still, and the rain suddenly stopped, yet the clouds remained darkened. One of Percy's eyes began to glow a bright blue while the other one stayed a dull sea green. The bright light intimidated Nyx, being that she was a Goddess of Night. Percy summoned Riptide once again, but this time he made it longer and stronger with hardened water. He dashed forward and became a flash of water before slashing Nyx's legs and arms. She screamed in agony. He rose up a wall of water and crushed her with it. He swirled the water inside, ripping her skin. She regained her senses and slipped into a shadow. She reappeared behind him, jabbing a night dagger into his back.

He didn't even flinch. He just pulled it out and threw it to the ground. He kicked her in the gut and then punched her face, cracking her jaw. He felt the warm blood trickle down his back, reaching his down to his jeans. Nyx created a shadow ball and sent it right at him. He leaped over it but the explosion sent shrapnel into his side. He staggered, his pain catching up to him. A couple of night shards pierced his chest and one hit his cheek. He grunted in pain, but he remained focus on Nyx. He only had time for one more trick. He blinded Nyx by illuminating his eye once more, and then focused on Nyx's body and the water of a cloud. He unleashed all of energy and transported himself and Nyx onto the cloud. He was gambling dangerously traveling in Zeus' territory. He encased Nyx in water once more while she was still blinded. He quickly surged the water into her body and crushed her. He then lunged and stabbed her in the heart with her night dagger. She screamed in agony and burst into shadows, going back down into Tartarus. Percy smiled, happy with winning before remembering that he was in the air. He felt himself falling down at a high speed.

His body felt like it split into a million pieces when he landed, creating a crater. The last thing he remembered was Artemis' piercing scream before he blacked out.

**AN: Hey there guys! I know I said 3-4 days, but I had no time to do anything over the week. So, I decided to wait for today and finish the chapter up. I made it twice the length of normal, so enjoy! Please R&R! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Broken Image:

Chapter 6: Dead?

Artemis POV:

I sat next to a small fire, staring into its vibrant glare. The fire was located near my cabin where the rest of the huntresses were sleeping. My mind was racing with thoughts. It had been so long since I could be just by myself. Even at the lake Perseus was secretly creating images of me. That seems kind of creepy now that I think about it, but then again it was also very flattering. I was so confused as to what had happened last night. Perseus and I held hands. Under normal circumstances I would have killed any man who dared to even think about touching me. Perseus' touch was not as bad as I thought. It was a cool, but soothing feeling as our hands met. His excuse was extremely humorous, I thought. Our hands were cold? Ha! It was about 80 degrees outside. I didn't mind though; it comforted by racing mind at the time. Gah, I quit. My serious nature was loosening up. I heard a sound.

There was a rustling to my right. I quickly stood up and narrowed my eyes, summoning my silver bow. I placed an arrow on the bow and pulsed my senses to look for the target. The rustling got louder as I realized it was a person running, _loudly_. The bushes rustled and a little girl, slightly bleeding due to the thorns, popped out. She was breathing heavily with a bewildered look on her face. She ran a little more towards me before collapsing onto my arms. Luckily I was in my 18 year old form and had the strength to hold the girl up. She panted out, "Lady Artemis?". I nodded and looked down to her frightened gray eyes. "Please. Hurry! A man named Percy told me to run here and call you. He needs your help!", she bursted out in fear and anxiety. I widened my eyes; if Perseus called for help it was seriously serious. I whistled extremely loudly, calling the Hunt awake. They got their weapons and quickly scrambled out of the cabin, knowing that the situation was dire.

"Where is he?", I asked the little girl. She shook out of her shock and pointed back to where she came from. I nodded and ran off, my huntresses following close behind. I noticed that the little girl wanted to follow but was too tired. I turned around and motioned her to get onto my back. She complied and I took off with her on my back. My determination to find Perseus kept me going, despite the extra added weight. We ran and ran, the little girl silently crying into my shoulder. Was he really in that much peril? All of sudden I heard a bang in the air and a faint figure falling. I could do nothing but watch as that faint image got larger and larger. The limp body fell down and hit the ground with so much force that a crater was left. I looked over to see Sea-Green eyes close as I screamed. I ran over to Percy's body. I disregarded everyone else present. All that mattered was him.

I leaned over and touched his cheek, feeling how cold it was. He shivered slightly at my touch but remained unconscious and living...or so I hoped. He looked helpless and alone, similar to when he was in Tartarus. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I began to sob. I knew he wasn't dead, but I felt so stressed and emotionally stretched by his currently limp state. He was a man. He was THE man, and he needed me. I picked him up as it started raining. I was going to help him. I ran back to my cabin, the rest following quickly. I realized that I could have flashed us back, but the little girl may have been harmed. I laid down onto my bed, not caring that the silver sheets were being tainted by grime.

I tried to heal him to the best of my abilities. I started by summoning bandages and disinfectant. I snapped and his shirt and pants were off, leaving only his boxers. Of course I covered him up with a blanket, almost blushing but I stopped myself. I quickly cleaned him up as Thalia got the bandages ready. The rest of the Hunt was taking care of the little girl. They knew that too many of them in one spot would just clog the process. The cuts on Percy's body were deep. Luckily, the blood flow had stopped due to the rain, but the sheer amount of force exerted onto his body made many bones crack.

I worked furiously to clean everything up. I even added some of my godly energy into his body to quicken the pace and make him stronger. By the time Thalia and I were done, it had been almost 30 minutes. His external injuries were now fixed, but there were still multiple internal bleeding problems. Seeing that there was nothing else I could do, I summoned nectar and ambrosia. I poured the nectar down his throat and gently shoved ambrosia down his throat. "Thalia, go check on your sisters and tell the girl of her origins. She is a daughter of Athena no doubt.", I ordered. She sighed in weariness and walked off. I turned back to Percy. His breathing was getting slower by the minute. I could feel his consciousness and his body begin to separate. Knowing that now he would have to survive by himself, I climbed onto the bed. Disregarding the blood and dirt, I gently lifted Percy's head placed him into my arms, his head now leaning onto my shoulder. Rather than the warmness that he usually radiated for me, I felt how cold he was. His body was still riddled with scars from both Tartarus and his battle. There were even cuts that left a black scar, somehow.

I continued to cradle him in my arms, his pulse getting smaller and his aura getting weaker. A few tears dripped down from my eyes onto my shirt. All of the memories of Percy and I flashed through my silver eyes.

I saw the young boy who took the sky for me, who despite me hating men did not care.

I saw the young boy who befriended Zoe Nightshade, and perhaps allowed her to die in peace.

I saw the Hero of Olympus destroy Kronos, saving the gods. I saw him decline godhood to help others.

I saw the boy save Hera and reunite the Roman and Greek camps.

I saw the boy who destroyed Gaia and saved my life, and killed the traitorous demigods. I saw him get sent to Tartarus.

I saw the boy who returned from Tartarus without a large grudge. I saw the boy who joined my Hunt just to help me despite me being so mean.

I saw the boy who saved my life and helped my hunt.

I saw the man who is dying to help others, no matter what the cost.

I couldn't stop myself anymore. I hated men, but this was the only true man in the world. And he was going. I cried. I all out sobbed and sobbed, letting my years and years of emotions out. My tears dripped down onto my shirt, and also onto Percy's jet black hair, which I was gently rubbing.

Both of our hearts stopped. Mine stopped metaphorically, but his stopped literally.

Percy POV(During the time from when he blacked out to heart stopping):

It was cold. The last thing I remembered was hearing Artemis' scream. I looked around and saw nothing but white. I felt ridiculously tired and fatigued. I tried standing up, only to collapse once more. Suddenly I felt a powerful presence appear next to me. I looked over but was blinded by the pure white light that emanated from the figure. I couldn't hold myself up any longer and I fell down. The light faded from the figure and I could now see the man's figure. It was a really old man, who looked like he would crumble at any moment. His wrinkles made seem like had lived since the beginning of time. I wondered who he was, but I stopped when I felt myself being lifted. The man used his staff, which had what looked like a clock at the end, to lift me up. I was carried over to a bed made of marble, and it was definitely NOT comfortable.

"Who are you?", I asked. The old man ignored me. "Hey!", I called out to him. He continued to ignore me, studying my figure. "Answer me!", I yelled in frustration. The old man began to chuckle at my anger. I furrowed my eyebrows together and glared at the old man. "We're going to have to learn patience aren't we, young man?", the man said. I sighed. I knew he was right. It had been only a couple of seconds before I became angry. "So are you going to explain now?", I asked. Once again, he laughed and looked a million years younger. His face then became serious once more and all his his wrinkles resurfaced. "Yes. I will.", he started.

"Another war, Perseus. But this time, it will be every enemy in Tartarus against the gods. This will also include certain Primordials, Perseus. This will be the most difficult fight of your life.", the man explained. "Did I not just kill Nyx?", I asked. "Yes, you did. Why do you think there is going to be a war?", he asked me. My eyes widened and I face palmed. I then realized that I could not have stopped though, as for some reason I lost control of myself. "Anyways, Perseus, there will be nothing that the gods will be able to do as they will be fighting the Primordials. The sheer number of Titans, Giants, and monsters will make the war _hell times Time_. The destruction of the entire world will happen if one person does not save it. Sadly, that person is you, some little boy who acts impulsively and has strong loyalty until death.", he continued, stressing that last part.

I felt offended. "Hey! I've saved the world before, thank you very much.", I argued. The man retorted, "Mostly because of luck. You need more skill. You're rusty at combat. Just because you can slice a couple of Drakons up means nothing." I shut up at that. He was right. Titans, Giants, and Primordials were much stronger than me right now. "Luckily for you, the war takes place in 5 years. I can train you in no time at all. Literally, because I am Chronos, Primordial of Time.", he explained. My jaw dropped at that. No wonder his staff had a clock on it! I'm an idiot. A voice in my head, eerily similar to Artemis', agreed with my previous statement, _You stupid Kelp Head_. "Wait, if you're a Primordial, why aren't you against us?", I questioned. He sighed, "Not every Primordial is fighting. Ones such as Aether and Hemera are ignoring. Pontus and Ouranos are also staying out, more willing to help than not. The only ones who are definitely fighting include Erebus, Nyx once she reforms, Tartarus, Eros, Ourea, and Gaia. Gaia, however will not be fighting herself, but she will provide earth golems and such. Pontus and Ouranos are helping me train you, while the rest are staying completely out. Basically we have three Primordials and their allies against six.", Chronos explained once more. I admit, I was kind of intimidated by the idea of fighting so many Primordials, but I was willing to do it, especially if I could train so much over no time.

"Alright, I agree to train.", I said. Once again he laughed, "I wasn't giving you a choice. Now remember, Pontus, Ouranos, and I are not actually fighting. We're just going to make you the most powerful that we can with our blessings and training." I nodded, slightly excited. "But before we give you cool powers, we have to train your mind and personality. You must become disciplined, serious, and calculating. Is that understood? You will be serious when it is necessary, and you will only be not serious when the other person deserves it. "I frowned at that, but then I realized that mean that I could still act like myself around the Hunt. "Well, let's begin. Pontus, Ouranos, come out!", Chronos shouted in his raspy old voice. Two figures rained from the sky, making clouds and water form around them with lights as well; it was quite a show. Chronos rolled his eyes, "As you can see these two like dramatic entrances."

"Nice to meet you, Perseus. You have done some amazing stuff, although Chronos here uses the excuse of luck, but I'd say otherwise", Pontus said cheerily. Clearly he was the more laid back one. Ouranos nodded at me, "I hope you are ready." Ouranos struck me as the no nonsense guy. I nodded back. The three Primordials stood next to each other, smiling menacingly. They cracked their knuckles and walked towards me while all saying, "Let's begin."

TIME SKIP: 3 Earth Years for Percy and Primordials, still no time for technically for everyone else.

The first year of training was all mental. I now had complete control over my mind. My emotions were locked away and I could battle without the worry of that. My fatal flaw, loyalty, was in control and would no longer have too many issues with that. The second year involved weapons. I was now proficient in every weapon ever. That doesn't mean I'm perfect them, but I knew how to use them well enough. The third year was when I finally earned the right to receive my powers. I gained the ability to summon ice and water better, similar to my father's abilities from Pontus. Ouranos gave me the ability to manipulate the air and I could fly, although it was tiring since I had no wings. Chronos gave me control over time, however I could only control time for weaker beings. Today was supposedly my last day.

"Perseus, today is the last day you will be here. However, your body is fine due to the lack of time passage. We will warn you, however, that you will need time for your body to get used to your new powers. You will have energy to wake up and say you aren't dead after a couple of hours. Hopefully they won't bury or burn while you get ready.", Chronos told me. "One more thing!", he added while his face completely became covered with weary wrinkles once more. "It is my time to go, Perseus. I have lived for long enough. I am proud to have had the chance to meet my successor. Good bye Percy.", he smiled sadly. My eyes widened, "Wait. What? No! You can't go!". Even Pontus and Ouranos smiled sadly at their fellow Primordial's fading. "Goodbye Percy, son of Poseidon. No, wait. Goodbye, son of Poseidon, Primordial of Time.", he whispered as he broke off into fragments of light and flowed away. I dropped to my knees. Chronos was like my grandfather. I wanted to break down, but then the Power of Time hit me. Chronos' Staff of Time pierced me in the heart, sending cold through my body. I screamed in pain, but it stopped almost as soon as it started.

I stood up, panting and looking up at the other two Primordials. "Welcome, Perseus, to the Primordials.", Pontus said. Both looked proud. I had become close with the Primordials; they were like my older brothers, much older. "Well guys, it has been awesome. I hope I see you guys again soon.", I spoke. Ouranos nodded," Don't worry, we'll be watching you, kid. Now get outta here. Oh, and Riptide has been enhanced with your new Staff of Time. And it can change to any weapon. Pontus and I have given you our full blessings as well. Save the world." I smiled in pride and leaped.

I felt myself join into my body once more. It was a warm feeling, although I could do nothing. All I could do now is wait for myself to regain consciousness.

Artemis' POV:

It had been one hour. I had told the Hunt and Jenney what had happened. They were all distraught. No one knew what had happened to Percy, but it did not matter. He was dead. His limp body remained in my arms. I flashed all of us to Olympus to show the news. I was now in the throne room, waiting for the gods to show up.

Third Person POV:

One by one, the gods flashed onto their thrones. As soon they sat down and looked at Artemis, they closed their eyes in sadness. Hades was the last one to show up. He looked both surprised and confused. Artemis stood up, carrying Percy's body over to the middle of the throne room. Gloom filled the entire room. Poseidon shook in anger, "Who did this?! TELL ME PHOEBE ARTEMIS!" Even Zeus and Ares paled in fear as Poseidon bellowed. The ground slightly shook. I quietly responded in slight fear, "I don't know, uncle." "I swear on the Styx that I will tear whoever did this will get my full wrath.", he swore as his trident glowed with red raw power. The shaking stopped but Poseidon's eyes turned completely red rather than his normal green. Zeus spoke, "Artemis, please tell us what you saw."

Artemis recounted her situation, including Athena's daughter. Everyone was surprised at the revelation of Jenney, who was hiding behind Artemis' back. Athena stood up with a small smile, and walked over to her daughter, leading her back to her throne. The council nodded grimly at Perseus' passing. Hades announced, "Wait, everyone. I don't want to get your hopes up, but I will tell you right now that although he looks dead, his soul has not entered my domain. I don't know where it is." Thalia blurted, "So he could be alive?" Hades nodded, "But the chance of that is completely unlikely." Before anyone could talk, a bright light emitted from Percy's limp body. He heated up and Artemis dropped him. The ground shook and the thrones began to crack. A pillar of golden energy drove straight into Percy's chest. One clear word could be heard from his mouth, "Artemis?".

**AN: Hey guys! I've been busy but here's another chapter. I know the time Percy had for training and such was short and rushed, but I did not want that part to take away from the story's passing. I just wanted a way to give him a start for his powers. Despite him having those blessings, he's not perfect at them besides water, of course. Anyways, enjoy! R & R!**


	7. Chapter 7

Broken Image

Chapter 7: Different

Artemis POV:

I saw his Sea-Green eyes lock with mine. My heart leaped in joy and I could feel it beat faster and faster. After 10 seconds of complete silence, he looked away and turned back to the council. I was instantly disappointed when he dropped his gaze. I don't know what it was, but his temporary 'death' made me miss him so much more. _Stupid boy messing with my head, _I thought. For some reason, he no longer emanated that warm feeling that I remembered. He was about to open his mouth, but he suddenly glowed in an intense silver light, screaming in pain as he began to float in place. I saw symbols spin around him: one of a clock, one of a single wing, and one of an ocean. The symbols spun faster and faster before diving into his chest. Percy became completely silver, and then the light broke into shards.

Percy fell back onto the ground on his knees, panting heavily. What he didn't notice, however, was his new physique. I stared in awe as I studied his newly defined body, his bulging muscles and developed torso. Aphrodite coughed and glared at me, causing me to snap out of my trance. I have to say it was quite embarrassing when I had to wipe the small amount of drool lining my mouth. That was completely accidental! It had nothing to do with boy over there! Percy coughed a bit more and stood back up, clutching his back like an old man. The picture was a little bit comical to me despite the previous circumstances. "So...", he began, "What did I miss?" The Big Three sweat-dropped while Aphrodite and Athena chuckled at Percy. At that point I reddened in anger. I stormed up to Percy, staring at him dead in the eye. Rather than flinch like old Percy, new Percy glared right back with even more ferocity.

I stopped for one second, wanting to flinch myself, but I held my ground. "You. Are. A. Fool. How could you endanger yourself like that?! Don't you think it would have been smarter to get help?", I practically screamed. He did not respond at first. I was about to speak again, but I was cut off, "So I could save you guys." His words hit me hard, "Wait. What? What did you even fight that could be so dangerous to stop a Goddess?" His eyes darkened into a shade that I could not identify. He uttered one word that pulsed fear into us all, "Nyx." Zeus exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, "What did you just say? _Who _did you just say?" I did a double take. How could Percy defeat someone so powerful? Why did she come after him? Wasn't she confined somewhere in Tartarus? My mind almost exploded at the concept of him winning. Surely he had help. A part of me found it very endearing that he would fight so hard to protect us. The other part of me wanted to kill him even more for being stupid.

"You heard me the first time. I said _Nyx_", Percy emphasized once more.

At this point the entire throne room went into chaos. Many gods screamed in panic while Zeus and Poseidon discussed how Percy survived. Aphrodite squealed in delight at Percy's epic victory, and Athena jumped over to Percy to ask him about his battle strategies. The turmoil continued until Percy had enough. "Quiet!", Percy yelled, shaking the Olympian Throne Room by with his booming voice. Was this the same boy from before? The Olympians all looked down at Percy. "Yes. Percy?", Zeus called, slightly annoyed. "Would you guys quiet down? I've got a lot to tell you all."

Eventually we all settled down and watched Percy expectantly. He quickly explained how he had been training for a long time now, justifying his amazing body. Did I say that? I meant to say...uh...nice. No one quite understood what he meant, and he did not explain what he meant, but no one questioned either. He continued on, telling about how Primordials were beginning to awaken and also wish to destroy the Olympians. He didn't know why exactly, but he explained how that it was probably because he had just beat the, and I quote, "snot" out of Nyx and she wanted revenge again. Of course, I highly doubted this, but I didn't really care since THE PRIMORDIALS WERE ATTACKING. Percy knew that the gods were going to freak again, so he quickly added, "Now! Not every Primorial is going to attack. Some, such as Pontus, Ouranos, and others are not attacking. Those attacking include Tartarus, Nyx once she reforms, Erebus, and Gaea are examples." The gods nodded, but that did not mean that their fear was suppressed any further.

"Now, I am going to leave. I will leave you all to, uh, plan? Good day. Bye dad!", Percy ended before walking away. He stopped, "Oh yeah. Other enemies include: monsters, more monsters, Primordial Spawn, some Titans, and whatever else wishes to fight us." Leaving on that note, he left the throne room in silence. Which was funny because he had to take the elevator since Zeus still would not allow Poseidon children to fly, if Percy could fly. I looked over to the Big Three, who were still a little shocked. Finally, after a long and awkward silence, Zeus stood up. "It is about time we prepare ourselves, Olympians. I know that we all have flaws, myself included.", he began. This comment shocked me; since when was my father so... morally understanding? Zeus continued, "At this point we are in a fight for our own lives. All of us. We will no longer just sit on our asses and use demigods as our pawns. We are the Olympians! And no one will stop us! Justice always wins!" As his voice boomed, each of us felt pride, a good pride, coarse through our godly veins. We were all determined to win! No one can stop us! Especially not me, Goddess of the Moon!

We all realized one huge fault in our plan to fight: the Ancient Laws. Of course, Athena verbally pointed this out to us. A collective sigh escaped our mouths like a deflated balloon. A flash banged in the middle of our room. We all closed our eyes by instinct. After the light stopped, we all looked to where the light emitted from. There was a single white card about the size of a note card. Poseidon stood up first and walked over to it. He picked up and read it. I watched his eyes move as he went through the words of the message. My uncle paled once he finished and looked back to all of us. We all returned the gaze expectantly. His mouth opened, "It's from Chaos. He said we have to follow the Ancient Laws, referring to us, the Olympians, and any of the other gods." I was disappointed, but then Poseidon continued. "He added one more statement. Chaos says we have to choose an Olympian to overlook the demigod camps." We all nodded. I was surprised that Chaos would talk to us, but then again, when we are fighting the ultimate war, nothing is strange anymore.

"Well, I nominate Artemis", Athena announced. I gave her a strange look. Did she not know that I had a hunt to look after? "Let me explain, Artemis. Since you are more mobile than we are, it makes sense that you meet with the camps. Plus, you usually visit the Camp Half-Blood somewhat frequently anyways." Now that I thought about it, she made a lot of sense. "Alright. Fine.", I agreed. I looked over to my father for approval. He nodded. "Artemis, please go and inform both camps. We will begin planning." Poseidon added, "And please take care of my son, niece." I blinked for a couple of seconds, evaluating his words once more. I then nodded at my uncles words, smiling. Despite Percy only being 'gone' for less than a day, it felt like he was gone for much longer. I flashed back to the hunt, expecting to see tired and sleepy huntresses, but she saw the opposite. They were all bubbly and smiling. Thalia burped loudly right as I walked into the room.

My lieutenant flushed at her outburst. I coughed awkwardly and asked, "Why are you all so happy?" No one answered me. They all kept smiling, many holding in laughs. I became slightly annoyed, "Answer me, girls" They stopped smiling, except for Thalia of course. She shook her head

no, making me a little more angry. I breathed heavily and closed my eyes. "Girls. If you do not answer me, you _will_ be punished." I kept my eyes closed, waiting for an audible answer. Hearing none, I began to count. 1...2...3...4... I heard the scrambling of huntresses away from me. One , Katrina, even yelled, "Every girl for herself!". Once I hit 5, I summoned by bow and placed a blunt arrow onto the string and opened my eyes. The first person I saw just happened to be Thalia, just happened. I gave a menacing exhale, and then shot. I watched the arrow travel towards the daughter of Zeus' back. I smiled grimly, the feeling of satisfaction that a hunter gets when she gets her target.

Thalia turned around 100 feet in front of the arrow and gawked at the fast object. She screamed, announcing herself as my target to her sisters. The arrow zoomed in on her. One foot before it made contact, the arrow stopped mid air. It floated in place, completely still and unmoving. I scrunched my face in confusion, not comprehending how the arrow would just stop. Thalia let out a huge exhale as she realized that she would not be struck by the blunt object, which she knew would have hurt. A lot. Thalia reached out and touched the arrow, causing it to shake and drop to the floor. I know this is mean, but I shot two more blunt arrows at Thalia. Once again, they both stopped right in front of Thalia. Now I was frustrated. Who dares stop a goddess from punishing her disciples? I began shooting as many arrows as I could, now also using my other types of arrows. Once again, they all stopped before Thalia. A pile of arrows surrounded her, and I was sweating profusely as I had just went rapid fire mode. I wiped my forehead and widened my mouth in awe at the huge pile of arrows around Thalia. Who was doing this? A voice came from above me.

"You know, it isn't very nice to shoot at a relative.", the voice said. I looked up, but the person had moved. Thalia and the girls move back over towards me. However, instead of wondering whose voice it was, they all were smiling and laughing once more. Even Thalia had forgotten her situation and started smiling. Once more I was frustrated, "Who goes there?!". At first there was complete silence, but then the voice came back, "Your favorite boy ever." I paused at not only the words themselves, but also the sound of the voice itself. The gears in my head turned and then it clicked. "Perseus?", I called out. I felt a presence appear behind me and I quickly turned around.

I ran up to him. I looked him square in the eye, and then went in for a hug. However, he did not return it. He sidestepped me and let me fall to the floor. His face was completely stolid, although the huntresses had no problems in laughing at me. I sat on the floor and huffed. An idea came into my mind. I glared directly at Percy and took in a big breath. I know I was acting like a kid, but hey, I saved his life. I think. Anyways, I took a bug gulp and puffed up my cheeks, holding my breath in. I didn't plan to breath until he did something nice. Yes, goddesses can lose breath too. Percy looked down at me weirdly, probably wondering what I was doing. I could see myself turn a little paler as a minute passed by. Percy rolled his eyes at me, still just looking at my petite body compared to his. I began to turn a little blue, but I was strong and I would not let Percy win!

Finally, I turned purple and my vision began to blur. Percy sighed and sat down next to me. He took his hands and hit each of my puffed up cheeks, opening my mouth and allowing me suck in breath instinctively. "Hey", he started. I looked over and gazed into his eyes. He paused for a second and then said, "You're cool." I sweat-dropped while my huntresses face palmed. "Uh, thanks?", I said, still mentally slapping myself at his 'nice' gesture. Percy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before saying, "Well. It's getting late. You all should go to sleep". Then he left towards the lake. I turned to my girls, "I apologize, sort of, for my earlier actions. Perseus is correct. Sleepy time!". They all nodded and smiled wearily as they were tired as well, and then we all headed to our tents.

I took off my silver parka, leaving me in my shorts and tank top. Gods, it felt so good to wear lighter clothing. I jumped into my bed, relishing at its comfortable material and warm nature. I really wanted to fall asleep really badly, but I couldn't. My mind kept going back to _him._ The boy who changed it all. Percy. The boy had died, and he made me want to lay there and die with him. And then he had to go and survive. Not only that, but to survive and then radically change! An even nicer body, an even better mind, and an even better sense of leadership, but of course he stayed almost as childish when it came to women. The boy was just so frustrating! We freaking held hands! Of course, our hands were cold...right? I mean, for sure if I WAS going to ever have my vows broken there is no question who it would be... Agh! This is why I ignore emotions. They cloud your mind. They mess with you. They cause trouble. I hate trouble unless it's in a hunt!

I checked the time. 2 hours had passed already. Wow. Looks like I'm not getting any sleep. I stood up and walked out of my tent. I just needed some fresh air, so I walked over to the lake where I could get both air and the sound of calm waves. I sat down in the sand, sifting it with my toes. I closed my eyes and took in a big breath. My mind cleared as the waves lapped at my feet. I let out my breath and laid down. I ran my hand through my hair, lulling myself to sleep.

I felt a presence settle down right next to me. It laid next to me, touching my side with its side. I opened my eyes and looked over, seeing Percy. My stomach turned a little bit as I saw him with closed eyes next to me. "Can't sleep?", he asked. I nodded. "Why?", he asked. "Reasons.", I responded. He took this a sign to not push it, which was intelligent. "A lot has happened in the past day.", he told me. I look over to him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "You don't know it, but I've actually been gone for 3 years. 3 long years.", he added. My eyes bulged out and I sat up quickly, "What? Explain." He sat up as well, looking into my glowing silver eyes. He shook his head no, and then he gave me a hug. He pulled me down onto the sand and went to sleep. I fell asleep with him without trying, but his warmth overtook me. I began to snore. The sand was so soft. And so was Percy...

** AN: Hi guys! It's been a month, I know, but I've been tired and busy. Soo...here ya go! Not so long of a chapter, but it gets some of the job done. Enjoy!**


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